A Guide To The Scientific Knowledge Of Things Familiar - LightNovelsOnl.com
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Q. _Why do fishes always seem to be nearer the surface of a river than they really are?_
A. Because the rays of light from the fish are _refracted_ as they emerge from the eye: and (as a bent stick is not so far from end to end as a straight one) so the fishes appear nearer our eye than they really are.
Q. _Why are some persons NEAR-SIGHTED?_
A. Because the COR'NEA of their eye is so _prominent_, that the image of distant objects is reflected _before it reaches the_ RET'INA; and, therefore, is not distinctly seen.
N.B. The cor'nea s.h.i.+elds the CRYSTALLINE LENS, and is more or less convex according to the lens which it covers.
Q. _What is meant by the "COR'NEA of the EYE?"_
A. All the _outside_ of the visible part of the _eye-ball_.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The curve A B C is called the COR'NEA.
If this curve be too prominent (or convex), the eye is near-sighted.
If too flat (or concave), the eye is far-sighted.]
Q. _What is meant by the "RET'INA of the EYE?"_
A. The net-work which lines the _back of the eye_, is so called.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The net-work ABC is called the ret'ina, and the projecting part DEF is called the cor'nea.]
Q. _What sort of GLa.s.sES do NEAR-SIGHTED persons wear?_
A. If the cor'nea be _too convex_ (or projecting), the person must wear double _concave gla.s.ses_, to counteract it.
Q. _What is meant by "DOUBLE CONCAVE GLa.s.sES?"_
A. Gla.s.ses hollowed in _on both sides_.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The figure A is double concave, or concave on both sides.]
Q. _What is meant by the "IMAGE of objects being reflected BEFORE it reaches the RET'INA?"_
A. If the cor'nea be _too convex_, the image of a distant object is reflected (on the vitreous humours of the eye) _before it reaches the ret'ina_.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Thus the image is reflected at DE, instead of on ABC (the ret'ina).]
Q. _What is the use of DOUBLE CONCAVE SPECTACLE gla.s.ses?_
A. Near-sighted spectacles _cast the reflection further back;_ and the image (being _thrown upon the ret'ina_) becomes visible.
Q. _Why are OLD people FAR-SIGHTED?_
A. Because the humours of their eyes _are dried up by age_, and the COR'NEA _sinks in_, or becomes flattened.
Q. _Why does the FLATTENING of the COR'NEA prevent persons seeing objects which are NEAR?_
A. As the cor'nea _is too flat_, the image of any near object is formed _behind the RET'INA of the eye_, and is not seen at all.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The reflection is made at DE, instead of at ABC (the retina).]
Q. _What sort of GLa.s.sES do OLD people WEAR?_
A. As their cor'nea is _not sufficiently convex_, they must use _double convex gla.s.ses_, to enable them to see objects near at hand.
Q. _What sort of gla.s.ses are DOUBLE CONVEX SPECTACLE-GLa.s.sES?_
A. Gla.s.ses which _curve outwards_ on both sides.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The figure A is double convex, or convex on both sides.]
Q. _What is the USE of DOUBLE CONVEX spectacle-gla.s.ses?_
A. As the image of near objects is reflected _behind the RET'INA_, these double convex gla.s.ses _shorten the focus of the eye_, and bring the image _into the eye_ (upon the ret'ina).
Q. _Why do NEAR-SIGHTED persons bring objects CLOSE to the eye, in order to SEE THEM?_
A. As the distance between the _front and back of their eye is too great_, distant objects are reflected _before they reach the ret'ina_; therefore, near-sighted persons bring the objects _closer_, in order that the reflection _may be cast further back_, (to reach the ret'ina).
Q. _Why do OLD people HOLD objects FURTHER OFF, in order to see them better?_
A. As the distance between the _front and back of their eye is not great enough_, the reflection of near objects is thrown _beyond the ret'ina_; therefore, they hold objects _a long way off_, in order to bring their images _forward_ (so as to cast it on the ret'ina).
Q. _Why are HAWKS able to see such an IMMENSE way off?_
A. Because they have a muscle in the eye which enables them to _flatten their cor'nea_, by drawing back the crystalline lens.
